REVUE DES MALADIES RESPIRATOIRES, cilt.15, sa.3, ss.269-278, 1998 (SCI-Expanded)
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), Obesity-Linked Hypoventilation (OLH) - a hypoventilation which is independent of apneas and increased by sleep -, and COPD are mechanisms for respiratory failure in obese patients. We thought nasal bi-level positive airway pressure to be a suitable treatment : EPAP is useful to maintain upper airway patency and IPAP-EPAP difference to correct OLH and COPD hypoventilation. Our purpose is to report the results of such a therapeutic approach.